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Prince Caspian: The movie vs. the book
PostedMay 19, 2008
aquawave
Disclaimer: Not all my facts are prefectly straight since I did not have the book infront of me when I wrote this...
During the opening scenes I was frustrated the there was no background on Prince Caspian or his professor and the stories of Narnia that he told or that he was half dwarf. This was resolved later on in the film as little pieces were put together here and there, but I think a little more of the original book beginning should have been added, especially the part where they go to the tower before Prince Caspian leaves.
I did like the fact that the horn “saved” prince Caspians life when he first came across the two dwarfs. I don’t remember that part being in the book, but it brought greater significance to Susan’s horn and possibly even parallels to when Caspian later saves her life. However, he didn’t call upon the Kings and Queens of old because of his distress after falling off a horse but rather to help the army as they prepared to battle King Miraz.
I don’t remember exactly how the book transitioned Caspian into the woods and meeting the Narnians, but I do remember that he sent (Red Dwarf) with the other Narnians out on a search to find them, one in each direction.
Upon the children’s arrival in Narnia the film didn’t do a good job of portraying much of their distress and confusion. The film made no reference to the apple trees or the fact that the children spent the night in Cair Paravel and only ate apples for many days. It really showed little of the children’s wanderings around the once peninsula now island either.
I did like the comments once the children entered the armory about being older in the past and younger in the future.
As they are wandering trying to cross the gorge, I really felt the whole significance of Lucy seeing Aslan on the other side was down played and the idea that they should cross there was very subtle. Then once they found the bridge (which I imagined to be much higher over a gorge and not in shallow water that could be easily crossed) and had to return I didn’t feel that if I had not read the book, that I would have made the connection that Aslan had been leading them, but they just weren’t listening.
During the campfire scene where Lucy once again encounters Aslan I felt that it was portrayed as a dream, and not as a fact that she had actually seen aslant and that because of her belief the trees began to wake again. I am very disappointed that the part where Lucy returns and tries to convince the others she has seen Aslan again and that they should follow him was not in the movie. It was very symbolic of Lucy’s faith and defining in the other’s character development when he was standing right there and they still couldn’t see him. It adds a mystic element and reveals to the audience that Lucy is not imagining Aslan, but that he is really there. The fact that Lucy was asked to go with Aslan by herself ties in with the scene at the end where Aslan reprimands her for not following even if she had to go alone. One of my favorite parts in the book is when Susan comments about Lucy being stubborn and shows her own stubbornness in wanting to not to go. I understand that the director may have wanted to keep the audience in suspense as to whether or not Lucy was hallucinating of if Aslan was really there, but it is important in the symbolism of the story.
I don’t remember much about the attack on Miraz’ castle from the book, but I do think that at the end when the gate falls closed and the Narnian soldiers are trapped inside that their nobility was underplayed. Once they realized that they were trapped I thought it was really weak that they just stood there looking with sad eyes watching as Caspian and Peter rode away. There should have been one or two that urged Peter to flee, and then they all should have just turned and started hacking away at Miraz’s men. I felt that their bravery was undermined and they did not die as valiant soldiers but rather as trapped victims, and where were the flying eagles. They could have easily lifted some of the smaller fauns out of there….operation air lift! I did call the part where they air lifted Edmund out and had previously just been wondering what had happened to them and why they weren’t still helping in the fight.
I liked how Edmund prevented Peter from falling to the power of the white witch.
Caspians accent was very hot and Barnes did a good job of portraying the Spanish influence on the Telmarines. It’s unfortunate it’s not his true dialect.
I imagined Repecheep to be taller, wasn’t he at least knee high?? Maybe even as tall as Lucy. I felt that he should have been bigger.
I did not like the kiss at the end. I understand a little romance and some looks between Susan and Caspian, but was the subplot really necessary? I know that it’s trying to show that the characters are older and that it’s perfectly natural, but it’s so far from what Lewis intended. The line about keeping the horn so Caspian could call Susan was very cute, but I felt it made the film too much about the 21st century and trying to entertain an audience and not about the time that it really was set in and the heart of the story. Flirty glances, fine, but the whole thing…a little over the time…I was very disappointed.
Overall I felt that if C. S. Lewis saw this movie he’d probably puke because it is pretty far from the heart of what his book was trying to portray. A ton of the symbolism was lost and stuff was added that took away form significant scenes. The director claimed during an interview that he tried to make the film as he had imagined it….what about how Lewis intended it???
I do have to commend the film as a cinematographical work. The digital animation was fabulous, the music and score amazing as were they in the first film. The costume design, landscape shots, and action were superior. I think if I had never read the book it would have been my favorite movie of the year and in my top 10 ever, but I couldn’t get past everything to enjoy it. After writing this out I feel that I have processed my frustrations and am looking forward to seeing the film again, but this time through the lens of a just another movie. I want to look at it for what is there, in terms of plot, and themes, and not as a representation of C. S. Lewis’ book. I really want to love it, I love Narnia, I want to love this film, and the ones that follow.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, was such a wonderful representation and I felt that it followed the book with such detail….even down to the mothballs falling out of the wardrobe. I went to the theater expecting this, yet fearing a letdown, and that’s what I received. I loved the book, and I’m looking forward to the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Hopefully it will be as amazing as the first and make up for the second.
During the opening scenes I was frustrated the there was no background on Prince Caspian or his professor and the stories of Narnia that he told or that he was half dwarf. This was resolved later on in the film as little pieces were put together here and there, but I think a little more of the original book beginning should have been added, especially the part where they go to the tower before Prince Caspian leaves.
I did like the fact that the horn “saved” prince Caspians life when he first came across the two dwarfs. I don’t remember that part being in the book, but it brought greater significance to Susan’s horn and possibly even parallels to when Caspian later saves her life. However, he didn’t call upon the Kings and Queens of old because of his distress after falling off a horse but rather to help the army as they prepared to battle King Miraz.
I don’t remember exactly how the book transitioned Caspian into the woods and meeting the Narnians, but I do remember that he sent (Red Dwarf) with the other Narnians out on a search to find them, one in each direction.
Upon the children’s arrival in Narnia the film didn’t do a good job of portraying much of their distress and confusion. The film made no reference to the apple trees or the fact that the children spent the night in Cair Paravel and only ate apples for many days. It really showed little of the children’s wanderings around the once peninsula now island either.
I did like the comments once the children entered the armory about being older in the past and younger in the future.
As they are wandering trying to cross the gorge, I really felt the whole significance of Lucy seeing Aslan on the other side was down played and the idea that they should cross there was very subtle. Then once they found the bridge (which I imagined to be much higher over a gorge and not in shallow water that could be easily crossed) and had to return I didn’t feel that if I had not read the book, that I would have made the connection that Aslan had been leading them, but they just weren’t listening.
During the campfire scene where Lucy once again encounters Aslan I felt that it was portrayed as a dream, and not as a fact that she had actually seen aslant and that because of her belief the trees began to wake again. I am very disappointed that the part where Lucy returns and tries to convince the others she has seen Aslan again and that they should follow him was not in the movie. It was very symbolic of Lucy’s faith and defining in the other’s character development when he was standing right there and they still couldn’t see him. It adds a mystic element and reveals to the audience that Lucy is not imagining Aslan, but that he is really there. The fact that Lucy was asked to go with Aslan by herself ties in with the scene at the end where Aslan reprimands her for not following even if she had to go alone. One of my favorite parts in the book is when Susan comments about Lucy being stubborn and shows her own stubbornness in wanting to not to go. I understand that the director may have wanted to keep the audience in suspense as to whether or not Lucy was hallucinating of if Aslan was really there, but it is important in the symbolism of the story.
I don’t remember much about the attack on Miraz’ castle from the book, but I do think that at the end when the gate falls closed and the Narnian soldiers are trapped inside that their nobility was underplayed. Once they realized that they were trapped I thought it was really weak that they just stood there looking with sad eyes watching as Caspian and Peter rode away. There should have been one or two that urged Peter to flee, and then they all should have just turned and started hacking away at Miraz’s men. I felt that their bravery was undermined and they did not die as valiant soldiers but rather as trapped victims, and where were the flying eagles. They could have easily lifted some of the smaller fauns out of there….operation air lift! I did call the part where they air lifted Edmund out and had previously just been wondering what had happened to them and why they weren’t still helping in the fight.
I liked how Edmund prevented Peter from falling to the power of the white witch.
Caspians accent was very hot and Barnes did a good job of portraying the Spanish influence on the Telmarines. It’s unfortunate it’s not his true dialect.
I imagined Repecheep to be taller, wasn’t he at least knee high?? Maybe even as tall as Lucy. I felt that he should have been bigger.
I did not like the kiss at the end. I understand a little romance and some looks between Susan and Caspian, but was the subplot really necessary? I know that it’s trying to show that the characters are older and that it’s perfectly natural, but it’s so far from what Lewis intended. The line about keeping the horn so Caspian could call Susan was very cute, but I felt it made the film too much about the 21st century and trying to entertain an audience and not about the time that it really was set in and the heart of the story. Flirty glances, fine, but the whole thing…a little over the time…I was very disappointed.
Overall I felt that if C. S. Lewis saw this movie he’d probably puke because it is pretty far from the heart of what his book was trying to portray. A ton of the symbolism was lost and stuff was added that took away form significant scenes. The director claimed during an interview that he tried to make the film as he had imagined it….what about how Lewis intended it???
I do have to commend the film as a cinematographical work. The digital animation was fabulous, the music and score amazing as were they in the first film. The costume design, landscape shots, and action were superior. I think if I had never read the book it would have been my favorite movie of the year and in my top 10 ever, but I couldn’t get past everything to enjoy it. After writing this out I feel that I have processed my frustrations and am looking forward to seeing the film again, but this time through the lens of a just another movie. I want to look at it for what is there, in terms of plot, and themes, and not as a representation of C. S. Lewis’ book. I really want to love it, I love Narnia, I want to love this film, and the ones that follow.
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, was such a wonderful representation and I felt that it followed the book with such detail….even down to the mothballs falling out of the wardrobe. I went to the theater expecting this, yet fearing a letdown, and that’s what I received. I loved the book, and I’m looking forward to the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Hopefully it will be as amazing as the first and make up for the second.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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